Page 2 of Daniel
Finally. My hands were shaking, as I forced my thumbs to type.
Me:Thanks. I appreciate it.
“See you tonight,” I muttered to my family before hurrying toward the truck. Instinct took over as I drove out to the Mitchell farm.
I had been introduced to Rebecca and Grant Mitchell just four days ago at the Walk of Lights. My parents had known their extended family forever, and they had come back to Holly Valley six months ago to take over the old Mitchell family farm. Apparently their daughter Prairie had been away at art school for the past two years, and was moving to the valley to join them now.
What excuse could justify barging in on them the split second their daughter arrived?
I cut my speed, rolling up the long driveway toward the house. The large barn door was open and I could see Grant working on their tractor.
In a daze, I parked the truck and simply walked to the house. My mind flooded with possible excuses of why I had just dropped by. Not a single one made a lick of sense. But I raised my hand to tap on the front door anyway.
Before I could make a sound, the door opened, and I stared into dreamy hazel eyes.
She was…perfect.
Strawberry blonde hair floated around a soft, sweet face. She was short, but deliciously curvy, and my hands instinctively wanted to reach out to her.
Her dark rose lips curved in a half smile as she blinked up at me. Somehow she was glamorous with barely any makeup, in a simple dark blue dress that wrapped around those incredible hips.
She was the sexiest woman I’d ever seen, causing all of my blood almost to boil as the air in my lungs threatened to disappear.
Panic mixed with joy at seeing my ideal woman looking into my eyes. My heart already ached to cuddle her against me.
She belonged to me. No, with me.
No...I was hers.
The air felt thick as I forced myself to speak to the goddess in front of me.
“Prairie?” My voice was a husky whisper.
“Yes?”
“Hi. I’m Daniel King. May I take you to the Christmas Eve Eve Ball this evening?”
2
PRAIRIE
My cousin Lila had warned me that Holly Valley was a bit...strange. After two years of art school, and living in the hectic racket of a big city, I was looking forward to somewhere far less bustling. I was naturally a fairly quiet person, and hanging out with my sketchbook was my favorite pastime.
Yet I’d barely been home for half an hour when a stranger was knocking on the door.
Although he wasn’t quite a stranger. As soon as my parents moved here several months ago, telling me that they would pack up my stuff and bring it with them to the farm, I researched the town online.
There was no way to miss the King family’s influence here. I had to admit that my eyes had instantly gravitated to Daniel in a family photo on the town website. Now I saw that it didn’t begin to do him justice.
He was gorgeous. Striking. The kind of beauty that almost seemed unnatural. Dark hair, dark eyes, and a finely-sculpted face that I already wanted to paint.
Good grief, the man was at least six foot five, and built like a lumberjack.
It was the first time I felt small next to someone. At five foot four, I would have been reasonably petite if I weren’t so curvy. It mostly gravitated to my breasts and hips, so at least I was shapely.
But now I felt downright tiny as I looked up at Daniel, nearly melting from his deep, raspy voice.
“Hi. I’m Daniel King. May I take you to the Christmas Eve Eve Ball this evening?”
